Happiness Blanket stunt sparks debate for British Airways

British Airways‘ latest marketing stunt has sparked a debate related to the relative merits of this new invention, handily called “the Happiness Blanket.”

The idea is to connect an LED-embedded blanket to a passenger’s brainwaves to see their comparative moods relative to different phases of flight. By visualizing passenger response, the airline wants to better target and manipulate the level of service.

The video, embedded both above and below, showcases how the Bluetooth-enabled devices work to trigger different color responses for set states of mind.

While initially focusing on the technology and the passenger experience using it, the video closes with a clear marketing hook: “Never underestimate the power of a good flight’s sleep.” The narrator speaks of “deep and undisturbed sleep” under a montage of steadily sleeping business class customers – of course, there’s not much of a mention of how those in coach fared, sleep wise.

The comments on the coverage (Daily Mail here) are wholly entertaining, ranging from comments on seat size to “pointless” to “do you wave it at the parents of the child who is kicking your seat when it has turned red?”

Twitter also had a lot to say – most of it incredulous and/or disinterested in the entire experience. Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman thought it not at all valuable:

The novelty is very interesting, although publicly advertising one’s mood to an entire plane is likely one step too far in the over-sharing department. It might just be best to keep training the flight crew to be savvy in reading passengers – or perhaps invent something that doesn’t require a heavy headband to be worn all flight and that turns the cabin into a pulsating in-air amoeba.

British Airways also recently announced the launch of Slow TV as a means to increase relaxation in the cabin – television that shows calming things such as the 7-hour train journey that received extensive attention in Norway.

Nick was previously the Director of Content for tnooz, where he oversaw the editorial and commercial content as well as producing/hosting tnoozLIVE. Prior to this role, Nick has multi-hyphenated his way through a variety of passions: restaurateur, photographer, filmmaker, corporate communicator, Lyft driver, Airbnb host, journalist, and event organizer.